The Government of Canada has a program called the Compassionate Care Benefit. This is an employment insurance benefit available to employees who need time off to be with a family member who may be close to death. It becomes available after the employee has used up all vacation or family leave time offered by the employer. At that point employees can apply to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada to receive six weeks of special benefits for providing care or support to a family member who is gravely ill.

Depending on the patient’s needs, home care services may be set up to help care for the patient at home. Home care is part of the health care system. Many regions in Canada have home care teams and may include health care providers trained in palliative care and symptom management. Funding for individual hospice or palliative care programs varies, so it’s important to contact the programs in your area to learn what services they provide.

Some provinces or territories cover medication costs if patients are registered in a palliative care program. These often have eligibility criteria.